8 chapters across the catalog
The hosts discuss FDR's legacy of the "Great New Deal" and the creation of the American welfare state. While Mo Facts identifies as non-socialist, he argues for a strong social safety net that encourages a return to work rather than trapping people in poverty. They suggest that modern global fears like climate change and inflation are being used to usher in a new era of totalitarian control.
Speculation persists regarding whether Kamala Harris will surpass Nancy Pelosi as the most powerful woman in Washington, D.C. Observers noted the presence of Valerie Jarrett, a long-time advisor to Barack Obama, at recent White House meetings, suggesting the "Obama wing" of the Democratic Party is actively managing the Biden administration. This influence indicates a long-term strategy to position Harris or potentially Michelle Obama for future presidential runs.
The discussion critiques Calvin Baker's suggestion that America needs new programs modeled after the New Deal and the GI Bill. Citing data from the Cato Institute, Mo Facts explains how FDR's New Deal actually prolonged joblessness for Black Americans. They argue that these government interventions, often praised in narratives, historically denied benefits to millions of Black veterans and harmed their economic progress.
Howard University professor Dr. Greg Carr argues that Franklin D. Roosevelt was the greatest president of the 20th century despite the "racial dimensions" of the New Deal and GI Bill. The hosts point out the inconsistency in Carr's logic, where a Democrat's racism is excused by their economic policy, while a Republican like Trump is condemned for his perceived racism regardless of economic outcomes.
The hosts discuss the "bad optics" of Nicole Hannah-Jones accepting sponsorship from Shell Oil for a lecture series in Houston. They highlight the contradiction of a racial justice advocate partnering with a corporation accused of massive human rights abuses and environmental devastation in Nigeria. This partnership is framed as a "problematic fave" situation where corporate interests use social justice figures to "whitewash" their reputations.
Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is criticized for her response to questions about reparations, which the hosts characterize as a "word salad" that avoids a direct answer. They argue that she is attempting to "hijack" the reparations conversation by framing COVID-19 relief through a "lens of reparations" for both black and brown communities. The hosts contend that this dilutes the specific claim of the descendants of American slaves to include other groups who did not experience the same historical tragedy.
A segment from "Adam Ruins Everything" explains how the creation of the American suburbs was a result of racist federal policies. During the New Deal, the FHA created color-coded maps where green areas were deemed safe for loans and red areas (minority neighborhoods) were denied. This institutionalized redlining ensured that 98% of home loans between 1934 and 1968 went to white families, effectively subsidizing white wealth while excluding Black families.
The historical migration of black voters from the Republican Party to the Democratic Party is attributed to FDR’s New Deal and Harry Truman’s integration of the armed forces. The hosts discuss the complexities of forced integration, with Mo sharing a personal story about his father’s negative experience being moved from an all-black school to an integrated one.
